Electrical switch-operating mechanism



Dec. z2, 192s. l 1,566,474

E. H. GRIM ELECTRICAL sw-ITCH OPERATING MEGHANISM Fned ma@ 21, 1925 :ssheets-sheet 1 l '11 J atto: nu'

Dem.l 22, 1925. 1,566,4'4

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Patented Dec. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD vIl. GRIlVI, OF DOTT, WEST VIRGINIA.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Application filed March 21, 1925. Serial No. 17,358.

This invention relates to an electrical of its operative positions,while the locomotive is in motion and approaching the switch.

Another object is to minimize the occurrence of wrecks by providingmeans for maintaining the points of a switch Ain the position to whichthey have been shifted and preventing them from being shifted to theirother positions substantially until the locomotive and any cars coupledthereto have passed the switch.

A further object is to provide railway switch operating and controllingmeans of the above kind which are simple and durable in construction aswell as efficient in operation.

l/Vith the above general objects in view, and others that will becomeapparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the sameconsists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings,and claimed.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating a portion of a railway'equipped with a switch operating mechanism constructed in accordancewith the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly broken away,showing part of the controlling means forv the switch actuated mechanismtogether with the latter and their relation to the rails of the maintrack of the railway. Y

Figure 3 isl an enlarged transverse sectional view illustrating a minelocomotive, positioned upon the railway tracks and associated withcontrolling means for' the switch operating mechanism, constructed inaccordance with the present invention. Figure 4 is a side elevationalview of th device shown in Figure 3,

Figure v5 is an enlarged 'fragmentary sectional view showing one of theswitch actuating solenoids in central longitudinal section.4 Y

Figure 6 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view illustrating the switchforming part of the means for maintaining the points of the switch inthe position to which rthey have been shifted.

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Figure 6 andy Figure 8 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantiallyupon a line 8-8 of Figure 1. i

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 5 generally indicates the maintrack of the railway and 6 a branch track thereof, the usual switchpoints 7 being providedV for controlling passage of the rolling stock atthe point where the switch is provided, whereby the rolling stock may becaused to continue on through the main track orto be switched therefromonto the branch track 6, as is well known in the art.

A switch bar 8 connects the free ends of the switch points 7 in theusual manner, whereby movement of said bar will cause simultaneousshifting of the switch points.

In accordance with the present invention,y

thevswitch bar 8 has its ends projecting outwardly beyond the rails ofthe track at opposite sides of the latter and these ends arerespectively pivoted as at 9 and 10 to the cores 11 and 12 of solenoids13 and 14.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the conventional mine locomotives are oflow built construction, and these locomotives usually carry a trolley,by means of which current is collected for the actuation of theirdriving motors, from a trolley wire (not shown) ,usually suspended fromthe roof of the mine. The locomotive is indicated generally by thereference character 15 and the return of the current from the motor ofthe locomotive is generally secured by ground- Ving the same tothe frameof the locomotive so that the return current will pass back to thegenerator at the power house by way of the rails 16, on which the wheelsof the locomotive run. The feed wires 17 ot the solenoids-13 and 14 areadapted to be connected with vthe trolley wire by means of a wire 18.

An auxiliary trolleywire 19 is vmountedalong one side oit the track somedistance to the left of the switch shown in Figure 1, and arranl'ged tobe swung upwardly into engagement with this auxiliary trolley wire 19 isa lever 2O pivoted between its ends as at `21 upon the locomotive 15.The auX- iliary trolley wire 19 is shown as having its ends clampedbetween insulating blocks 22 suitably secured to the upper ends ot postsor standards 23 mounted-upon spaced ties 24 of the railway tracks.However, the auxiliarytrolley 4wire 19 might of course, be readilysuspended from insulators or insulator'brackets secured to the wall ofthe mine, and the use of supporting standards 23 is merely given as anexample. It is to be understood that the pair o1E cooperating posts 23are separated some distance so as to give the auxiliary trolley wire 19a considerable length. Also, the lever 2O may be provided with anysuitable means tor facilitating its manual actuation by the motorman ofthe locomotive 15, and as shown, this consists of a link 25 having` oneend attached to the inner end ot the lever 20 and its other end attachedto a weighted lever 26 pivoted upon the locomotive 15 inwardly ot thelever V2O. The lever 26 will oic course be insulated from the lever 20so that the operatorV may manipulate the same without danger of shock.The a Xiliary trolley wire 19 is connected by means of a wire A to thenegative side of the solenoid 14 which solenoid is also connected atthis side by means of a wire 27 with the stationaryv contact 23 of atwo-way switch.

A second auxiliary trolley wire 19a is supported alongside of the trackin tandem relation to the trolley wire 19 by means of furthersupportingstandards 23a .mounted upon others of the ties 24 and theends oic saidtrolley7 wire 19a are secured in insulat-V ing blocks 22a suitablysecured in the upper ends of said standards 23a.

As will be seen from Figures land 2, the second auxiliary trolley wire19a' is connected by means of a wire B with the negative side ot thecoil of the solenoid 13, and this side of the latter coil isalsoconnected by means ot' a wire 29 withthe second stationary contact `30of said two-way switch mentioned above. This two way switch preterablyembodies the contacts 28 and 30 fixed upon an insulating plate 31securely fastened upon the adjacent tie 24, the contacts 28 and 30projecting toward the adjacent switch bar 8 and cooperating with acontact 32 secured to said switch bar 8 and vinsulated .from the latteras indicated at 33. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the

movable contact 32 carried by the switch bar 8 may besecured to theinsulating'block 33 and the latter may be` suitably rigidly secured tothe switch bar 8 so as to move therewith when the switch points 7 areshifted, the contact 32 engaging the conto pass trom the main trackontothe branch track 6.

As shown in Fi-guresv1 and 8, a rampg34 is disposed beside afrail ot themain track 5 in advance of the switch points 7 4and this ramp isyieldingly'held elevated, so as to be depressed by wheelsvo't theVrolling stock travelling on the rails 16, by means oi' springs 35,which springs encircle depend'v ing pins 36 carried by the -ramp 34 andmov" able in guides 37 of brackets 38 iixed to adjacent ties 24. A'contact strip` 39 isattached to the ramp 34 and insulated therefrom asindicated at 40, and this contact strip 39 is adapted to engage the base.of the adjacent rail 1G when `the ramp 34 is depressed, and todisengage romthebase of the rail when allowed 'to rise under theiniuence ot' the'springs35. The contact strip 39 is connected by meansot a wire 41 with the movable contact 32 ot the two wayswitch, as shownclearly in Figure 1. It is to be noted thatthe ramp 34 is disposedadjacent to the switch points 7.

1t the :trame of the `locomotive 15 is constructed of wood, the pivot 21of the lever 20 may be electrically connected with rthe axle ot'thelocomotive wheels by'means of a suitable conductor, and where animalhaulage is employed, the lever 2O may `be pivoted to the side of aleading coal car.

1n operation, assuming that the partsare positioned vas shown linFigure1, and that the locomotive 15 is approaching ,the switch points 7 fromthe lelt of Figure 1,. andalso assuming' that the motorman .desires to.con tinue on through the switch `on the main track, the .lever 21 isswung upwardly into engagement lwith the auxiliary trolley wire 19a.When this isv done the current will flow from the trolley wire by'way ofa wire 18 and the feedwire 17 of solenoid 13 to wire B an-d trolley wire19a, .the current then passing to the rails 16 through theframe of thelocomotive by way ot lever 20. The circuit' of solenoid 13 is thusclosed so `as to cause energization of the coil of said solenoid 13'whereby its core 11 is attracted for drawing the' switch bar 3 towardsaid solenoid and insuring posit'ioningof the points 7 as shown inFigure 1. Of course, if the motorinan had known that thepoints wereproperly positioned, the necessity of ndv.)

this operation would be eliminated, but, as the position of the pointsis not known in advance, this operation will be eiected at all times.Vhen the switch bar 8- is thus shifted, the contact 32 engages thecontact so that the current is shunted by way of wire 29 from the coilof solenoid 13 to the wire L t1 by way of contactsBO and 32- and then tothe conducting strip 39. As the strip 39 is maintained in engagementwith the base o the rail 16 by passage of the wheels of the locomotiveand cars coupled thereto over the ramp 34, the circuit of the solenoid13 is maintained closed for preventing the points 17 from being shiftedto their other position until after all of the wheels of the rollingstock have passed over said ramp 34 and substantially passed the switchpoints 7. It the motorman had desired to pass onto the branch track 6,the lever k2O would have been swung into engagement with the trolleywire 19 so as to cause the core 12 of solenoid 14 to be attracted. Thiswould effect movement of the points 7 and switch bar 8 toward thesolenoid 14C so that the contacts 28 and 32 would be engaged and wherebythe circuit of solenoid 14 is maintained closed by means of the wheelspassing over the ramp 34.

From the foregoing description, it is believ-ed that the constructionand operation as well as the advantages of the present invention will bereadily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

What I claim as new is 1. The combination with the switch points of arailway switch, of a. solenoid for shifting said switch points in onedirection, a second solenoid for shifting said switch points in anopposite direction, and means including an element on a vehicle of therailway operable to selectively close the circuit of either desired oneof said solenoids while the vehicle is in motion and approaching saidrailway switch, a normally open current grounding switch operativelyassociated with a rail of the railway adjacent the switch points andmovable by the wheels of rolling' stock of the railway to closedposition, and means operable by shifting of the switch points to connectthe operative solenoid to said current grounding switch andsimultaneously disconnect the inoperative solenoid from said currentgrounding switch.V i

2. The combination with the switch points of a railway switch, of asolenoid for shifting said switch points in one direction, a secondsolenoid for shifting said switch points in an opposite direction, andmeans including an element on a vehicle of the railway operable toselectively close the circuit of either desired one or' said solenoidswhile the vehicle is in motion and approaching said railway switch, anormally open current grounding switch operatively associated with arail of the railway adjacent the switch points and mow able by thewheels of rolling stock of the railway to closed position, and meansoperable by shifting of the switch point to connect the inoperativesolenoid to said current grounding switch and simultaneously disconnectthe inoperative solenoid from said current grounding switch, said lastnamed means including a two-way electrical switch having a movablecontact element fixed to and movable with the switch bar of the switchpoints.

3. The combination with the switch point-s of a railway switch, of amotor for shifting said switch points in one direction, a second motorfor shifting said switch points in an opposite direction, and meansincluding an element on a vehicle of the railway operable to selectivelyrende-r either desired one of said motors operative while the vehicle isin motion and approaching said railway switch, a normally open motorcontrolling elementI operatively associated with a rail of the railwayadjacent the switch points and movable by the wheels of rolling stock ofthe railway to closed position, and means operable by shifting of theswitch points to connect the operative motor to said control element andsimultaneously disconnect the inoperative' motor from said controlelement.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

EDWARD H. GRIM.

